Ms. Levy attended the Seminar on Religion and Reconciliation in Global Perspective, Sept. 23, 2014.

by Lea Levy

Dr. Boesak and Dr. Turner are both very eloquent speakers, but are both very different in the ways in which they address the crowd. It is evident why Dr. Boesak chose to be a preacher, and Dr. Turner a professor.

I think that the question of whether or not the Truth and Reconciliation Commission in South Africa was worth it is a very important question and raises many others along with it. Both Dr. Boesak and Dr. Turner agreed that it was indeed worth it, but they did also address the downsides of it, implying that even though reconciliation can be very helpful and healing to many different people, there are also many risks attached to it.

In looking at South Africa’s situation today, Dr. Boesak says that the stratification of wealth, along with terrible health problems such as the spread of HIV and AIDS throughout the population make the situation within the country not look much better than it did under Apartheid for many young South Africans. The life expectancy in the 90’s was 60 years, and today it is under 50. Many people feel that their life has not gotten much better since Apartheid was knocked down, and are questioning their feelings about reconciliation and about the sincerity and worth of it.

However, the conclusion by both speakers was that it was indeed worth it. As Dr. Turner put it, South Africa’s citizens decided to look forward and to coexist, and this was a victory within itself. Though life is not perfect in South Africa, a lot of progress has been made. Though interpersonal forgiveness does not address state and structural violence, it was able to resolve a lot of feelings that many South Africans were having, and was able to create a society that listened to each other and that is able to cope with the past in a healthy way.

Religion and Reconciliation in Global Perspective; The Risks of Reconciliation Video, Sept 23, 2014 .